Straw-toothpick-making machine



F. E. HESS. STRAW TOOTHPICK MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22.1918.

Patehted Aug. 19, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTOR fiW/zam if/Z 55.

I WITNESSES 11 TTORNEYS cm, WA

F. E. HESS.

STRAW TOOTHPICK MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.22.191a.

1313,8520. Patented Aug. 19, 1919,

2 SHEETS$HEET 2.

WITNESSES l/Vl/EIVTQR A TTOH/VEYS FRANCIS EDWARD HES S, OF BLACKWELL, OKLAHOMA.

STRAW-TOOTHPICK-MAKIN G MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

Application filed October 22, 1918. Serial No. 259,248.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS EDWARD Hnss, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Blackwell, in the county of Kay and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain, new and useful Improvements in Straw- Toothpick-Making Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in tooth-pick making machines, and it consists in the cOnstructiOns, combinations and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a simple device for making tooth-picks of straw, the arrangement being such that the alined straws are cut into even tooth-pick lengths, and dropped directly into the cartons in readiness for distribution to the trade. i

Another object of the invention is to provide a straw to0th-pick making machine, embodying means whereby a substantlally uniform number of tooth-picks will be deposited in each carton when the straws are cut.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for holding the tooth-picks down and tending to press them into the cartons, to prevent them from rising up with the knives and from sticking in the cutting compartments.

Otherobjects and advantages will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the straw toothpick making machine,

F ig. 2 is a side elevation,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the l1ne 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. at is across section on the line H of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional perspective View illustrating the arrangement of the fixed shearing knives in connection with the straw bundle partition walls.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a frame 1 of any suitable construction. The frame is rectangular in shape as shown in Fig, 1. Guards 2 with outwardly bent upper portions, are fastened to the angle irons 3 which extend longitudinally "of the machine and form the longitudinal rail member of the frame.

A plurality of straw bundle partitions 1 are located in parallelism with the guards 2 and are interlocked with a plurality of transversely disposed shearing knives 5. Flared mouth pieces 4 are fitted on the ends of the frame.

These flared mouth pieces have a plurality of rectangular or otherwise shaped openings, and provide the means whereby a substantially uniform number of straws are thrust between each partition. In the present instance the bridge pieces that define the openings in each month piece, coincide with the partitions 1. All that is required to do is to thrust a bundle of as many straws as can be conveniently crowded in each opcning from either end of the machine, whereupon the cutter is forced down.

The interlocking arrangement of the knives and partitions referred to above, is best illustrated in Fig, 5. Here it will be observed that the partitions 4 are provided with a plurality of knife slots 6 which are in transverse alinement so that the knives T of the cutter frame 8 may enter in cutting up the straw. Notchcs 9 are cut in from the lower edge of each partition in an offset position from each adjacent knife slot 6.

It is clearly shown at the right of Fig. 5 that the left walls of the notches 9 are in vertical alinement with the right wall of each knife slot 6. The shearing knives 5 are notched at 10, and when the parts are put together, the surface nearest the observer of each shearing knife, is flush with the right walls of the knife slots. Since the cutting edge of each knife 5 extends slightly above the bases of the knife slots 6, the knives 7 may pass beneath said cutting edges thus insuring the cutting of the straws.

The guards 2 are slotted at 11 similarly to the partitions 1, so that the knives 7 may pass through. The partitions 4: are further slotted at 6 to permit the passage of a plurality of presscr fingers 8. The fingers 8' cooperate with the knives 7 and keep the cut straws from rising up with the knives after the cutting operation. They also serve to press the tooth-picks into the cartons beneath.

The cutter frame 8 is pivoted at 12 at the rear of the frame 1. The presser finger frame is likewise pivotally mounted on the same rod 12 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The extreme presscr fingers 8 are the ones that are pivoted on the rod. The other fingers .the bosses of the knife bars.

simply extend rearwardly from the front bar 8 which joins the free ends of the 'eX- treme presser fingers.

Two or more arms 8 reach upwardly from the free end of the presser finger frame, and are connected at the top by a stop bar 8. Springs 8 at the. pivoted end of the frame normally press the fingers 8 upon the straw, when the presser frame is unrestrained by the cutter frame withwhich it cooperates;

The side knife bars 13 are joined by a front connecting bar 14:, beyond which the handles 15 extend. In raising the cutter frame, the connecting bar 1% is arranged to strike the stop bar 8 and raise the presser frame out of the partitions. Figs. 2 and 4 show the presser fingers in substantially the position they assume when the partitions are filled with straw. Of course were there no straw between the partitions, the springs 8 would force the presser fingers down until they engaged a solid part of the frame.

The knives- 7 are secured in any suitable manner on intermediate bars 13 which are like the side bars 13, as shown in Fig. 1. Counter-weights 16 are carried by arms 17 which extend rearwardly from any desired pair of the knife bars. The pivotal connec tion of the cutter frame, comprises simply a pivot rod which passes through a number of lugs on the rear angle iron 3, and through Sleeves 18 on the pivot rod, act as spacers between the bosses and lugs.

In the operation of the machine, a tray 19 bearing cartons 20 of a number equal to the interstices or openings formed by the shearing knives 5 and the partitions 4, is slid 1n place on the angle irons 21.

. Strawof a suitable nature as for instance iwheat, broom, timothy, millet or other straws or grasses, is thrust into the rectangular openings of the flared mouth piece at one or the other end of the machine. The cutter frame 8 is supposed to be up when the straw bundles are thus put in. The cutter frame should be up far enough to bring the connecting bar lt into contact vwith the stop bar 8* and thus lift the presser fingers out of the paths of the straw bundles. 7

Now when the straw bundles are all in place, the cutter frame 8- is forced down so- ,that the knives 7 cut the straws into toothpick lengths. As soon as the connecting bar laleaves the stop bar 18, the pressure of the springs 8 pulls the presser fingers 8 against the straw. 'After the cutting operation is performed, these fingers prevent the toothpicks from rising with the knives and serve to press the tooth-picks in the cartons 2O beneath. The cartons are then removed and closed in readiness for shipment.

While the construction and arrangement of the straw tooth-pick making machine is that of a generally preferred form, obviously modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

1. A straw tooth-pick making machine, comprising means for holding a number of straw bundles, said means being arranged to insure a substantially even number of straws in each bundle, cutting means arranged to be brought down acrossv the bundles to cut the straws in uniform tooth-pick lengths, and pressing means coacting with said cutting means for holding thetoothpicks" down and aiding to force them out after being cut.

2. A straw tootlrp'ick making machine, comprising means for holdinga numberof straw bundles, said means being arranged to insure a substantially even number of straws in each bundle, cuttingmeans arranged to be brougl'it down across the bundles to cut the straws in uniform tooth-pick lengths, pressing means coacting with said cutting means for holding the tooth-picks down and aiding to force them out after being cut, and

forced across the bundles against the shearing members to cut the straw into toothpick lengths, and pivotally mounted pressmg means coacting with the cutting means and'operating between the blades, to press the cut tooth-picks down.

4'. A straw tooth-pick making machine, comprising means enabling the arrangement of a plurality of straw bundles of substantially uniform size, transversely disposed means beneath the bundle forming supports and shearing members, pivotally mounted cutting means having a plurality of evenly spaced blades arranged to be.

forced across the bundles against the shear- 'ing'members to cut the straw into toothpick lengths, pivotally ,mounted pressing meansgcoacting with the cutting means and operating between the blades, to press the cut tooth-picks down, and means including a tray arranged to be screwed in place, bearing cartons to receive said tooth-picks in readiness for shipment.

5. A straw tooth-pick making machine, comprising a frame, partitions and shearing knives arranged at right angles to each other, in fixed engagement with each other and with members of the frame; means including flared mouth pieces at the ends of the frame, with openings in alinenlent with the spacers between the partitions, said openings insuring the making of uniform straw bundles when the straw is inserted across the shearing knives; a cutter frame pivoted on the frame and having handles, blades arranged to coact with the shearing blades, counter-balancing means for the cutter frame, means holding cartons beneath the partitions and shearing knives to catch the tooth-picks when cut by the blades of. a cutter frame, and pivoted spring pressed pressing means for forcing the tooth-picks into the cartons and preventing them from rising with the cutter blades on the upstroke, said means including a plurality of presser fingers and an upwardly extending part arranged to be engaged by a portion of the cutter frame, to lift said pressing means after the cutter f 11118 has moved a part of the upstroke.

G. A straw tooth-pick making machine, comprising a. counter-ha]anced cutter frame having side knives and intermediate knives evenly spaced, :1 frame providing a pivotal support for the cutter frame, a plurality of partitions slotted to admit the cutter knives, and having intern'iediate slots; a plurality of shearing blades interlocked with the partitions and arranged to support straw bundles between the partitions and coaet with the cutter knives to cut the straw, a movable tray for holding cartons to receive the straw when cut into tooth-pick lengths, and press ing means including fingers operating in said intermediate slots to press the toothpicks out and into the cartons.

7. In a straw tooth-piek making machine, parallel partitions evenly spaced and pro vided with transversely alining knife slots on the upper edges and notches on the lower edges, opposite 'alls of adjacent slots and notches being in vertical alinement, and transversely disposed shearing blades having notches, enabling the interlocking of the blades with the partitions in the partition notches, the cutting edges of the blades being disposed above the plane of the bases of the knife slots.

FRANCIS EDVARD HESS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 03" 

